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FSC 54
August 2013 sees the '''54th edition of FSC. It's held in Porto, Portugal after Kika won the 53rd edition of FSC with a song called "Guess It's Alright". 38 juries participate in this edition. Philippines joined the FSC universe and Switzerland returned to the stage. Denmark, Macedonia and Malaysia, however, didn't send an entry. The Host City The Host city for this FSC-edition is Porto , also known as Oporto in English , the 2nd largest city in Portugal after Lisbon , and one of the major urban & economic/commercial and industrial areas in Southern Europe, as well as the capital of the second major great urban area in Portugal. The city has a population of around 240.000 citizens , distributed within 15 civil parishes. The greater urban area of Porto, it has a population of about 1.3 million, making it the second-largest urban area in Portugal. It is one of five cities on the Iberian Peninsula with global city status, (the others being Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon and Valencia). Located by the Douro River estuary , in northern Portugal , Porto is one of the oldest European centres and registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Its settlement dates back many centuries, when it was an outpost of the Roman Empire. Its Latin name, Portus Cale has been referred to as the origin for the name "Portugal" based on transliteration , and oral evolution from Latin. One of Portugal's internationally famous exports, Port wine, is named for Porto, since the metropolitan area, and in particular the adegas of Vila Nova de Gaia, were responsible for the production and export of the wine. The history of Porto dates back to the 4th century , to the Roman occupation of the Iber- ian Peninsula. During the Roman occupation, the city developed as an important commer- cial port , primarily in the trade between Olissipona (the modern Lisbon) and Bracara Aug- usta (the modern Braga). Porto fell under the control of the Moors, during the invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 but was reconquered by Christians in 868 , including the area from the Minho to the Douro River: the settlement of Portus Cale and the area that is to- day known as Vila Nova de Gaia. In 1387 , Porto was the site of the marriage of John I of Portugal & Philippa of Lancaster , the daughter of John of Gaunt ; this symbolized a long- standing military alliance between Portugal and England (cf. the Treaty of Windsor, 1386). In the 14th & 15th centuries as Portugal gradually ascended to the status of world power Porto's shipyards contributed well, to the development of Portuguese shipbuilding , which culminated in what is often referred to as : the 'Age of Discovery' - a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern era -and the historic period that included the pioneer Portu- guese [ & Spanish] long-distance maritime travels around the world , in search of distant lands , new territories and alternative - new - trade/shipping routes to "the East Indies". Culturally, Porto has : several museums , concert halls , theatres , cinemas , art galleries, libraries, and book-shops . The best-known museums are : the National Museum Soares dos Reis ( Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis ), which is dedicated especially to the Portuguese artistic movements from the 16th to the 20th century, and the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Serralves Foundation ( Museu de Arte Contemporânea ) . This city’s concert halls are of a rare beauty and elegance such as the Coliseu do Porto by the Poruguese architect , Cassiano Branco ; an exquisite example , of the Portuguese decorative arts. Other notable venues do include the historical São João National Theatre , the Rivoli theatre , the Batalha cinema and the more recent Casa da Música. Porto is , furthermore a city of sports and has three main football teams : FC Porto, Boavista and Salgueiros, of which FC Porto - one of the '-Big Three-' in Portuguese Football - is the most famous and successful. Porto's most popular event, moreover, is perhaps St. John (São João Festival) on the night of 23rd–24th June. It's a tradition to have a vase with bush basil, decorated with a small poem. For dinner people usually eat sardines & boiled potatoes together with red wine. Another major event is the Queima das Fitas in the first week of May each year. It is a traditional and colourful festivity, for the students of many Portuguese universities. Some main sights in the city : Cais de Gaia (the city’ 'postcard' skyline & the birthplace of one of the world’s most famous wines, port), the São Francisco Church (one of Europe's most extraordinarily lavish church interiors, completely covered in gold), Sé do Porto (the Porto Cathedral, the largest religious edifice in Porto, and one of the oldest historical mon uments, built between the 12th and the 13th century), and the Dom Luis Bridge (Porto’s iconic bridge, which opened in 1886 , when it held the record, for the longest iron arch in the world; today, the metro crosses the upper level, while the lower level is used by cars and pedestrians , to cross the river between the centre of Porto and the spectacular city views & traditional port wine warehouses of the nearby municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia) Other city sights are: Cais da Ribeira (an atmospheric, colorful , World Heritage riverfront medieval district) , the Clerigos Tower (an iconic landmark , overlooking the city, Clérigos church tower was the tallest structure in Portugal when completed in 1763 & as the main feature of the city's skyline , ships used it as a guide , when coming into Cais da Ribeira) the Serralves Museum (Museum of Contemporary Art, two buildings that in a way are as much a work of art as the collections they exhibit inside surrounded by a magnificent pa rk area) and the Palacio da Bolsa (an extravagant 19th century building with a vast Neo classical façade which was the former Porto stock exchange , built to impress & earn the credibility of European investors; it’s now designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO). The Venue The Host venue for FSC August 2013 is the Casa da Música (“House of Music”) , a dynamic modern concert hall, in Porto dedicated to the creation, & celebration of music. It houses the cultural institution of the same name, with its three orchestras : Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Orquestra Barroca, and Remix Ensemble. The venue was designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, and was built as part of Porto's project, for European Culture Capital in 2001 , but was only finished in the first half of 2005 - and , immediately became an icon in the city. The firm ‘Inside Outside’ (Petra Blaisse) designed the large 13 curtains and the gold leaf wood grain pattern of the large auditorium which seats around 1240 persons. Although the opening day concert took place, on the 14th April , (with the performers: Clã and Lou Reed), the building was inaugurated on 15th April 2005 , by the Portuguese President. The Prime Minister & many other notable politicians , and members of Porto high society , were present for the concert by the 'Orquestra Nacional do Porto'. The Hosts Our lovely Hosts this evening are:' Daniela Ruah' and Diogo Morgado . Daniela Ruah (full name Daniela Sofia Korn Ruah), born in Boston, USA in 1983, is a Portug- uese American actress perhaps best known for playing NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye, in the CBS - series ‘NCIS : Los Angeles’. She attended the St Julian's School , in Carcavelos , near Lisbon , Portugal & earned a 'Bachelor of Arts'-degree from London Metropolitan University. Daniela speaks 3 (three) languages fluently: Portuguese, English , and Spanish. She started acting in Portuguese soap operas, when she was a teen. Her 1st acting role came at the age of 16 , when she auditioned for the soapopera ‘Jardins Proibidos’ ('Forbidden Garden') , and was offered the part/role of Sara. After her studies abroad she returned to Portugal to pur- sue her acting career. She was a winner of the celebrity dancing competition ‘Dança Comigo’ (Portuguese version of ‘Dancing with the Stars’) & received main roles in various Portuguese TV series & soap operas, short films (like ‘Canaviais’ in 2006), & in the theatre. In 2007, she moved to New York to study at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, & more recently in April 2013 Daniela made her theatre-debut, in Los Angeles as Catherine , in the play "Proof". Diogo Morgado (full name Diogo Miguel Morgado Soares) , born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1980, is a well known and popular Portuguese film - and TV actor and former model. He began his career at the age of 14 , as a male model . His first TV work was in several Portuguese soap operas, and TV series such as ’Terra Mãe’ (1998) , and ‘A Febre do Ouro Negro’ (2000). He became famous with his role as Miguel, in the SIC -produced TV film‘Amo-te Teresa’ (2000) by Cristina Boavida. He played , in the telenovela ‘Floribella’ (2006) & as protagonist , in the miniseries ‘A Vida Privada de Salazar’ (2009) , and starred , in the Emmy -winning ‘Laços de Sangue’ (2010). Diogo had his 1st role outside of Portugal, in the Brazilian telenovela ‘Revel ação’ (2008), & also appeared with Rui Unas in the Spanish comedy, ‘Mapa’ (2009). His rece ent lead film role, was as Antonio Vega Jr. in the 2013 Hollywood production 'Red Butterfly', while his recent TV role was portraying Jesus Christ in History Channel's miniseries The Bible The Show The Results The Winner Anna Rossinelli - Let It Go